The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Operation of a vehicle may be regulated by one or more control modules. A control module may diagnose faults in various components of a vehicle. A fault may affect engine performance, emissions, braking, and/or other onboard systems of the vehicle. For example, a control module may diagnose faults in driver interface devices (e.g., accelerator pedal), sensors (e.g., manifold temperature sensor), actuators (e.g., throttle valve), and/or other vehicle components.
When a fault is diagnosed, the control module may generate a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that identifies the specific fault diagnosed. The control module stores the DTC. The DTC can be used to identify the faulty component. For example, a service tool communicates with the control module to retrieve the DTC. The DTC may then be used in conjunction with other service procedures to fully diagnose and repair the faulty component.